


One To Fly The Heavens

by icyvanity



Category: Stitchers (TV)
Genre: F/M, Reporter AU, camille is from new york au, kinda an amelia earhart au, kirsten is rich and cameron is not au, like that era au, linus is still communications, pilot AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 23:58:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6447319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyvanity/pseuds/icyvanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kirsten Stinger is the best solo-pilot around, and one of the only female pilots to be acknowledged internationally. When the notoriously vicious woman, known simply as The Eagle, is interviewed by Cameron Goodkin, reporter for The Times, she opens her heart to him. Unfortunately, their whirlwind romance is doomed, and neither of them know it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One To Fly The Heavens

“What’s it like up there?”

“Hmm?”

“Flying through the clouds.”

“Well, if you fly through a cloud, it gets rather wet.”

“You know what I meant, Stinger.”

She chuckles, snuggling closer to him, “It’s the best thing. The entire world spread out just for me, the skies empty and silent and just waiting to be explored. Nothing compares.”

He ran a hand through her blonde curls, “I wish I could see it.”

She was silent for a moment, her own hand splayed across his broad chest, tracing the scar that ran down the middle, “One day. One day after this expedition, I’ll take you with me. I’ll hire the best doctors around to come with us.”

“Oh will you now?”

“ _Please_. Not all of us need to have boring desk jobs to make a living. I’m _rich_.”

“That you are. These sheets alone cost more than my apartment.”

“They’re luxury.”

“They’re _ridiculous_.”

* * *

 A month earlier, Cameron Goodkin was mentally cursing his boss. A lowly reporter such as himself should’ve been singing praises to Fisher for the opportunity to interview The Eagle, the world’s best female pilot, before her next trip around the world. However, as Kirsten Stinger was known to be _quite_ hard to work with, it made perfect sense that Cameron went from fetching coffee for his superiors to standing on the steps of Stinger’s lavish mansion in downtown Los Angeles, hesitating with his fist on the door.

He knocked.

There was no reply, and for a moment he let his hopes soar that she wasn’t home.

The door creaked open.

“Can I help ya’?”

Cameron looked down instead of up, into the narrowed eyes of a feisty brunette in a fluffy pink robe and curlers still in her hair, with an accent dripping with Eastern charm. Definitely not Stinger, then.

“Sorry, I’m looking for Miss Stinger. I’m a reporter from the _L.A. Times_. I called ahead and spoke with a Miss Engelson,” Cameron replied quickly.

“That’d be me. Stinger’s in her office,” Miss Engelson stepped aside to let Cameron in. She shut the door firmly, and strode off down a hallway, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll show you the way.”

The walls were covered in deep mahogany paneling, devoid of much decoration other than the odd painting and one framed photograph with burnt edges.

“Those are her parents,” Miss Engelson said, striding back to where he’d stopped in front of it. “They died in a fire when she was fourteen.”

“I didn’t know.”

Miss Engelson shrugged, “No one really does.”

She continued down the hallway for a bit longer, stopping in front of a set of intricately carved double doors. She knocked twice.

“Come in.”

Miss Engelson opened the door, gesturing for Cameron to follow her. Stinger sat behind a massive desk, a journal in one hand and glasses balanced on the tip of her nose. She had sharp eyes, and her hair hung in tight curls close to her narrow face.

She stood as he entered the room, “Mr. Goodkin, I presume?”

Her full height, just taller than he was, intimidated him as much as anything else he had heard about The Eagle, but he tried not to let it show. “Uh, yes. I’m from the _Times_. Here to inter—”

“Interview me, yes,” she said with a sharp smile. Nodding past him she said, “Thank you, Camille.”

Miss Engelson shut the door as she left, leaving them alone together. Cameron dared a glance around the spacious room, every wall covered with bookshelves overflowing with leather bound books.

“So, Mr. Goodkin,” Stinger said, drawing his attention back to her. Leaning back in her chair, she continued, “interview me.”

* * *

 Kirsten clasped the straps on her boots again, rechecking that they were properly fastened; any tiny mistake could turn into a big problem up in the sky.

“Are you sure you have everything you need?” Cameron asked from the doorway, leaning against it with furrowed brows. Kirsten ignored him, lifting her bag into her lap and checking she had all of her tools and equipment.

“You don’t have to see me off, if you’d rather not,” Kirsten said quietly, closing her bag.

Cameron spluttered, crossing the hallway to sit at her side, “I want to come with you.”

Kirsten regarded him, “Cameron, you look like you’re about to pass out.”

He shrugged, “I’m nervous.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Doubting my competence, are you?”

“ _No!_ There are just so many freak things that could go wrong, that you can’t plan for.”

Kirsten didn’t acknowledge that with a reply; her hand slid over his, grasping it.

The door swung open, revealing one of Kirsten’s team members, a communications specialist named Linus. He’d noticed the change in Kirsten as they all had, since she’d met Cameron Goodkin; The Eagle was notoriously vicious and cold, but Linus had never seen someone look so alive as Kirsten was now, gazing at Cameron.

He cleared his throat, “We’re ready when you are.”

Kirsten took a deep breath, retracting her hand from Cameron’s, and stood up.

* * *

 “Something’s wrong.”

Cameron felt his heart drop when he heard Camille utter those words, the very words he’d prayed he would never hear.

“Linus,” Camille said sharply, coming to stand behind the man; Linus had gone a sickly color, a look of horror on his face—that was what Camille had noticed.

“What’s happening?” Cameron asked, standing up.

Linus was saying her name repeatedly, “Kirsten.”

Finally his head snapped up, and he said, “I’m listening—” He broke off, gripping his headset like a lifeline, “ _Kirsten_.”

The entire room was silent; Camille had moved to wrap her arms around Cameron, whether to offer comfort or hold him back, he wasn’t sure.

He was sure his heart must’ve stopped when Linus turned to him with tears in his eyes. “She said—” Linus cleared his throat, “She said she’s sorry she won’t get to take you flying after this is all over.”

Cameron knew instantly why, his knees giving out as the truth hit him. The Eagle had flown for the last time.

**Author's Note:**

> [read on tumblr](http://lady-gryffindor.tumblr.com/post/142178257493/one-to-fly-the-heavens)


End file.
